An ancient jawbone discovered in Taiwan has been identified as belonging to the Denisovans, an extinct group of human ancestors. The find was reported in a study published on Thursday. The Denisovans are a mysterious branch of early humans, and little is known about them. The majority of their fossils have been found in places like Siberia and Tibet, with some researchers suggesting that fossils from Laos might also be attributed to this group. This recent discovery of the jawbone in Taiwan, however, expands the known geographical range of the Denisovans, shedding new light on where these early humans might have lived. The jawbone was found during a fishing operation in the Penghu Channel near the Taiwan Strait, and after being sold to an antique shop, it was eventually donated to Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science.

Scientists in Taiwan, Japan, and Denmark recently analyzed the jawbone and were able to extract protein sequences. These sequences closely resemble those found in Denisovan fossils from Siberia. This discovery is significant because it provides new evidence of the Denisovans’ presence in East Asia. However, experts caution that more data is needed to confirm the identification of the jawbone. Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Project, emphasized that while the recovery of proteins was an impressive achievement, the small sample size may not offer a complete picture. Despite this, the study opens up the possibility of further research into how Denisovans, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens may have interacted in ancient times, offering insight into human evolution and migration patterns.